unwieldy
adjective
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The Difference Between Wieldy and Unwieldy
The verb to wield means "to handle or exert something effectively." A carpenter might wield a hammer with impressive dexterity, for example, or a talented orator might wield influence over an audience of listeners. Something that is "wieldy" is capable of being wielded easily, and while that adjective may not be particularly common, its antonym "unwieldy" finds ample use to describe anything that is awkward to handle, move, or manage. "Wield" and its relatives all derive via Middle English from Old English wieldan, meaning "to control."
Examples of unwieldy in a Sentence
Alison Herman, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
Yet any swerve away from Trump’s blessed route risks ending with House Republicans pursuing a vote-of-no-confidence against Johnson, who has so far been impressively steady at the helm of a caucus that is unwieldy at best.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
This presents a tremendous advantage over classical antennas, which require an unwieldy collection of static, often large, antennas to achieve broad-spectrum awareness.
—Paul Lipman, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
But in the closing weeks, the offense became over reliant on Hidalgo’s frenetic scoring — and unwieldy on her rare off nights.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Cite this Entry
“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwieldy. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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unwieldy
adjective
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